The Lazy Dream Syndrome™ where thinking is disguised as progress
You know this person:
They light up in brainstorms. Love a good whiteboard. They speak in phrases like:
“We’re still pressure-testing the idea.”
“We want to get this right before we roll it out.”
“There’s a version of this that’s really exciting.”
Sometimes... they’re you.
Let’s talk about Lazy Dream Syndrome™ - that sneaky little leadership habit where processing looks like progress, but it's really just a chic form of avoidance.
I’ve seen this in top-tier sales leaders. In founders. In high-potential employees who’ve read Thinking, Fast and Slow and are now permanently stuck in “slow.” Heck, it was me: My first business expense when I launched my company was a 9x5 square foot whiteboard ... so yes, this was very much ME.
It’s a kind of high-functioning procrastination. Looks smart. Sounds strategic. But behind the curtain? Fear of being wrong. Fear of waste. Fear of vulnerability.
There’s nothing wrong with dreaming big. The problem is when dreaming feels productive enough to replace doing.
The Science (a.k.a. it's not just you)
Research from the field of behavioral science shows that planning and visualizing can feel almost as rewarding to the brain as actually doing the task.
In one study from UCLA, participants who visualized their goals experienced the same dopamine rush as those who took action. It’s called the illusion of progress - your brain gets its reward hit before you've earned it.
The problem? That dopamine high can be so satisfying that you never leave the strategy cave.
Enter the intention-action gap.
When your brain gets the dopamine hit from the vision alone, you slack on the prep.
Translation: your brain will lie to you. Especially when you're high on hope.
That beautiful, world-changing idea? Your brain’s already patted you on the back for it. No wonder you’re dragging your feet.
Embrace that ugly duckling
Real leadership lives in the uncomfortable place between vision and experimentation.
Vision says: “This could change everything.”
Experimentation says: “Let’s test the version that might fail.”
One of the most high-impact sales VPs I ever coached had a phrase taped to her desk:
“Get dirt under my nails.”
She had inherited a team that spent too long in “processing mode.” Decks were beautiful. The pipeline... not so much. She did something wildly simple. Every week, she challenged the team to try one bold experiment. No approval needed. Failures welcomed.
Within a quarter, their win rate was up 20%. Not because they had smarter dreams. But because they got dirt under their nails.
Real talk
Thinking isn't bad.
Dreaming isn’t lazy.
But at some point, both become a distraction from your next brave move.
Especially in leadership - where "having a vision" can earn applause while you're still avoiding the experiment that might expose it.
You don’t need more brilliance.
You need more courage in smaller doses.
Ask Yourself:
What idea am I sitting on because I want it to land perfectly?
What’s one ugly version I could test this week?
Is “processing” just a way I’m avoiding vulnerability?
This Week’s Challenge:
Take that shiny, over-polished dream.
Crack it open.
Embrace the ugly duckling.
Launch that version.
Let it get weird.
Let it teach you something.
P.S. If your team is stuck in Lazy Dream Syndrome™, hit reply. I’ll send you 3 rapid-fire prompts to help them move from idea worship to real-world momentum - without killing creativity in the process.
My best, always,
Shar